Prerequisite/Recommended prerequisite for participation in the module

Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

The students shall learn about screen media production, animation and computer graphics, including the analysis of relationships between audio-visual communication and the communication offered by animation and computer graphics technologies. The students shall develop their technical and methodological skills by creating audio-visual experiments and experiences that are pre-rendered.

Computer generated imagery (CGI) is an integral part of visual media products. It is so abundant and of so high quality, that oftentimes it is no longer noticed. We find computer generated imagery in movies that are either entirely computer generated or substantial elements are made as special effects and we find CGI in commercials, music videos or for example visualizations of molecular biology.

In this project module students will be working with analyzing, designing and implementing/producing (parts of) media-technological experiments and/or products in which pre-rendered computer graphics imagery is an essential part. This can for example be an animated short story, developing technology and/or methodology for a special effect or production tools for aiding in the implementation/production of such products.

It is essential that projects contain elements of pre-rendered computer graphics, and addresses an audio aspect, if applicable (and it has to be considered that many of the desired impacts on an audience can be achieved through the use of audio instead of or in combination with visuals).

Projects of a filmic nature must be informed or inspired by film theory and cinematography. Projects of a more technical nature must address a well-defined problem for which performance requirements can be established. For all types of projects, evaluations of the produced solution must be conducted to test formulated hypotheses or set design criteria.

Learning objectives

Knowledge

Students who complete the project module will obtain the following qualifications.

• Understanding of modelling, animation and rendering techniques for high quality computer graphics imagery
• Understanding of film form and dramaturgic models

Skills

Students who complete the project module will obtain the following qualifications.

• Ability to analyze, design and implement/produce an audio-visual artifact with a narrative element and aimed at communicating a formulated message or experience to a human user of group of users

• Ability to apply cinematographic concepts in commercial graphics rendering tools such as 3ds Max or Maya
• Ability to analyze the audio-visual communication possibilities and requirements associated with a chosen project subject
• Ability to analyze the technical requirements associated with the chosen project subject
• Ability to synthesize an effective solution to the chosen project domain by bringing together relevant concepts, theories and techniques from the fields of film theory and 3D computer graphics

Competences

Students who complete the project module will obtain the following qualifications.

• Ability to synthesize knowledge, methodology or techniques concerning a problem centred around computer generated imagery, and/or
• Ability to synthesize animation sequences that are effective according to some chosen communication requirements

Type of instruction

Academically supervised student-governed problem oriented project work.

Exam

Exams